Toto's Tale

Everyone knows the story The Wizard of Oz.  But what if Toto told his part of the story?  In Toto's Tale, Dorothy's faithful little terrier does just that.  Follow Toto as he stands up to flying monkeys, battles a wicked witch, and uses his wits to help Dorothy get back to Kansas. 

Click here to read more of my review

Golden Zombie Alert!

With dozens of zombie stories hitting the YA shelves recently, and AMC’s new series THE WALKING DEAD hitting small screens on Halloween, there are plenty of ways to scare yourself with new tales of the undead. I strongly recommend SOULLESS by Christopher Golden, a nail-biting thriller that is, hands-down, the best zombie novel I've ever read. If you want to find out what happens when zombies take Manhattan, pick up Soulless now.

Read an excerpt.

Read my blog post about the book.

But wait! There's more!

Many of the contributors to editor Christopher Golden's THE NEW DEAD, from St. Martin's Press, got together to talk about zombies and the upcoming television show.

Check out the interview.

Have a safe and happy Halloween weekend, everyone!

End of Days: A Night Runner Novel

Zack Thomson is a vampire. So are his friends Charlie and Luna. While Charlie struggles with his new vampirism, he, Zack, and their friends are pulled into a conflict with the mysterious Mr. Hyde, a creature who hunts vampires. As the story unfolds, and the ties between Zack and his girlfriend Luna intensify, the network of support around them collapses, forcing them to redefine their notions of good and evil and find a way home.

Click here for my full review.

The Dark Divine E-Book on Sale!

E-Book of The Dark Divine Priced at $2.99 for a Limited Time

Egmont USA announced today that the e-book of THE DARK DIVINE by Bree Despain will be available for $2.99, from October 25 through November 22—wherever e-books are sold.

THE DARK DIVINE made headlines last month when it was announced that Ralph Winter ("X-Men") and Terry Botwick acquired the movie rights to THE DARK DIVINE, through their 1019 Entertainment banner.  

A modern retelling of the Prodigal Son with a paranormal twist, THE DARK DIVINE sold out of its first three print runs and has garnered terrific reviews. Booklist said: “Atmospheric and compelling, Despain’s first novel will be popular, and a sequel eagerly anticipated.”

After you pick up The Dark Divine, get ready for the sequel, THE LOST SAINT, coming December 28, 2010.

ABOUT BREE DESPAIN

Bree Despain rediscovered her childhood love for creating stories when she took a semester off college to write and direct plays for at-risk, inner-city teens from Philadelphia and New York. She currently lives in Salt Lake City, Utah, with her husband and two young sons. This is her first novel. You can visit her online at www.breedespain.com.

ABOUT EGMONT USA

Egmont USA (www.egmontusa.com) was established in 2007 with one mission in mind: to bring stories to life. From picture books to young adult novels, Egmont USA publishes works that engage, entertain, and enlighten children of all ages. Egmont USA is a wholly owned subsidiary of Egmont UK and part of the Egmont Group, one of Europe’s largest children’s publishers. The company is headquartered in New York City.

Pull

High school senior David Albacore is dealing with the aftermath of a family tragedy.  David and his younger sister move to a tough inner-city high school after their aunt takes them in.  Between balancing school, work, and his growing feelings for Yolanda, he still can't escape nightmares of that fateful night.  When an opportunity comes his way, David is faced with a difficult choice.  PULL is a very realistic tale of a teen and hard choices.  Gritty and very real, David's story will stay with you.

Read more of my review

An Interview with J.T. Dutton

Check out an interview with J.T. Dutton, author of Freaked and Stranded, on YABC. Young writers, she has advice for you! The interview also includes how yoga has been beneficial to her and the roll her husband plays in her writing process.

Click here to read the interview with J.T. Dutton.

Review: The Cardturner

Poor Alton. His summer has been turned upside-down. Not only has his girlfriend thrown seventeen-year-old Alton over for his best friend, but now his money-hungry parents have lassoed him into driving his old, wealthy and blind uncle to his bridge games. Alton must be his uncle’s cardturner, reading the cards to him at the outset of each game and playing each card. Not exactly big summer fun. But soon Alton begins to enjoy the game of bridge and his uncle’s company. Throw in a pretty girl who shares his interest in the game and a handful of family secrets, and Alton finds his hands full.

Click here to read more.

NIGHTSHADE by Andrea Cremer

Ladies and gents, we have a hit on our hands.

Penguin thinks so, too. They pulled out all the stops for NIGHTSHADE's marketing campaign. Truly brilliant, and truly deserved.

Andrea Cremer's writing is tight and her worldbuilding is impeccable. She applied her knowledge as a historian to build certain elements of the story, and the strength lies in the things you don't notice. Her take on wolves is fresh rather than familiar. And her witches ... SCARY.

Read the rest of my review HERE.

Readergirlz: Celebrating Change

From Lorie Ann Grover, co-founder of readergirlz:


Hey rgz,

As we get ready to celebrate Teen Read Week together, we also wanted to celebrate rgz upcoming new format.

This October is our last feature as you know it. So be sure to share the love with Laini in these remaining weeks.

So what's up? Well, how about the realization that we ALL read way more than one book a month, right? And the postergirlz pick such awesome recommends. How about this:

* the divas choose a theme a month
* you nominate songs for that theme, and Little Willow will build the playlist
* we'll have a community service spotlight for the theme
* the postergirlz'll nominate the very best YA books for the theme, new releases or old
* one book will be featured EVERY Monday

*squeeeeee* Our Author Liaison diva, Micol Ostow, will be outreaching to each weekly feature for a guest blog post and will invite them to hang with us in the comments. If the author is under deadline and can't make it over, we'll still have a post and be able to chat it up, share the love, leave questions, and so on.

The readergirlz website will continue to hang with a final issue, hence that playlist you all helped build. And the fabbity archives will remain available for your book clubs and libraries.

Feel free to spread the news and be ready for quick changing content of the very best in the children's lit industry. Of course we'll still have Cover Stories and Story Secrets and other posts of awesome that the divas bring to the table. The rgz SALON and Street Team will also continue with their posts, along with reports from our rgz HOSTS across the country.

You know we are always looking for great ways to further teen literacy and social service. Watch for this changeover on November 1. So, what do you think?

Enjoy Teen Read Week, and always, always, always: Read, Reflect, and Reach Out!

The Good, the Bad, and the Barbie: A Doll's History and Her Impact on Us by Tanya Lee Stone

The Good, the Bad, and the Barbie: A Doll's History and Her Impact on Us by Tanya Lee Stone is now available. Love her or hate her, you can't deny the impact Barbie has had on the world. This book offers quotes and anecdotes from many people, myself included. (Thank you, Tanya!) Here's the official book flap summary:

Barbie just might be the most famous doll in the world. She's represented fifty different nationalities. She's stepped into the always-fashionable shoes of more than one hundred careers. She has been played with, studied, celebrated, and vilified for more than fifty years. And she has unquestionably influenced generations of girls - whether that influence has been positive or negative depends on who you ask.

When award-winning author Tanya Lee Stone started asking girls, boys, men, and women how they feel about Barbie, the first thing she discovered is how passionate people are about her. Here are a few things they said:

"Barbie is really only a reflection of the girl holding her. My generation of 'Barbie girls' is now entering the world and we seem to be doing just fine." -- Sara, age 17

"Barbie, I hate you!" -- Luci, age 15

"How Barbie looked was never the issue. Not to the girls who loved her. It was what she taught us that mattered. And what she taught us was that, like Barbie, we could be anything we wanted to be." -- Meg Cabot

"Barbie has been the #1 most destructive force on the self-image of women all over the globe!" -- Dr. Carole Lieberman

The Good, the Bad, and the Barbie is part biography - both of the doll and of her inventor, Ruth Handler - and part exploration of the cultural phenomenon that is Barbie. Filled with personal anecdotes, memories, and opinions from people of all ages, and featuring original color and black and white photographs, this book is for anyone who understands that we're all living in a Barbie world.

October Giveaway - Lois Duncan Prize Pack!

Don't forget to enter our October giveaway for a chance to win one of five Lois Duncan Prize Packs!

To celebrate the reissue of Lois Duncan's KILLING MR. GRIFFIN, I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER, and DON'T LOOK BEHIND YOU, we're giving away five prize packs that include all three books!

>> Click here to fill out the entry form << 

Review: Ghoul Strike!

British ghost hunter Alannah Malarra uses her psychic abilities to banish demons and collect the treasure they protect. The wealth she accumulates allows her to search for her renowned psychic parents who have gone missing while on a ghost hunt. Her companion, a professional burglar named Wortley, reluctantly helps Alannah in her merciless pursuit of treasure. But Alannah doesn’t realize that simmering beyond the earthly realm ... Click here to read more.

Review: Beautiful Darkness

All our favorite characters from Beautiful Creatures are back in this sequel from Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl. Ethan's just as heroic and gentlemanly as before, making him the sort of boy you want your sons to be. Amma's baking closes in on Olympic sport status, and I swear I gained five pounds just reading about her Coca-cola cake. Then there's Lena, whose path to self discovery may very well break your heart.

I've been waiting for this sequel for what felt like a century. I'm happy to say I wasn't disappointed. Click to read more...

Lips Touch: Three Times

What happens when a kiss is more than a kiss?

That's the question each of Laini Taylor's short stories explore in Lips Touch: Three Times.

We all know a kiss can mean something powerful in the mortal realm -- but what if it meant the difference between life or death? What if it meant more than whether it was stolen, or sweet, or salty from tears?

Click here to read more...

Hatter M Volume 3: The Nature of Wonder

It's 1865 and Hatter Madigan is still looking for the missing princess Alyss of Wonderland.  In his search he's joined by two 19th century paranormal investigators.  They run into President Abe Lincoln and others on his quest.  In the meantime the powers of Black Imagination gather and descend on America.  It's up to Hatter to find the White Flower shamans and the antidote to the evil of the Black Imagination.  Plus still find Alyss.  Hatter M Volume 3: The Nature of Wonder continues Hatter's tale as he struggles to find the missing princess of Wonderland while making sense of 19th century America.  Not an easy task for anyone.

Click here to read more

REVIEW: Girl, Stolen, by April Henry

Sometimes it can be tough to find a good YA thriller. Find out what we think of this one!

Review: Justin Fisher Declares War!

From the day he set foot in school, Justin Fisher was funny. He had to be. When he slipped in the lunchroom and spaghetti landed all over him, he could look like a loser or crack up the cafetorium. Ever since, Justin creates amusement and havoc wherever he goes. Until now .... Click here to read more.

Review: Jack Blank and the Imagine Nation

Raised in an orphanage, Jack Blank doesn’t know who he is or even his real name. The teachers and other students shun Jack but he finds solace in his secret stash of contraband comic books and his mysterious “powers” that just “make things happen”. Then a mysterious robot appears and tries to attack Jack, setting in motion an adventure Jack has never imagined ... Click here to read more.

Review: Hubknuckles, written by Emily Herman and illustrated by Deborah Kogan Ray

Hubknuckles is a spooky tale that will make Halloween fans happy. YABC gives it five stars!

September Giveaway Winners!

Congrats to our September Giveaway Winners! 

IMAGINE by Kathy Picciano

krae991
highvoltagegrrl2

dluvsdrgns
basheemadory

Grand Prize winner of a book and a CD:

kolejacb





THE CLIQUE #13: MY LITTLE PHONY by Lisi Harrison

jcf1226
judybrittle
rnoel1
nancyecdavis
KMitchell31
seallen46
bearser
alwaysatexasgal
ekontra
kaylaperez89

THE ARISTOBRATS by Jennifer Solow

stacedog01
1superkris
bookaholic117
judybrittle
rnoel1
jere.a.noel
hawkes
reneck122890
veltara
kayla3194

Magician's Muse

Sabine's psychic abilities are needed on her latest adventure--looking for her ex-boyfriend Josh, who's been missing.  Add to that a new threat against her boyfriend Dominic and coming face to face with evil magicians(both living and dead).  Magician's Muse has it all: adventure, mystery, intrigue, romance, and a ghost.  What more can you ask for in a great paranormal tale?

Click here to read more